news for immediate release:

IT'S BALWIERCZAK FOR MAYOR, PAPILE & SEVER FOR BOROUGH COUNCIL!

NORTH ARLINGTON - After a strong showing in last year's council races that saw Democrats cut down GOP margins significantly that led to Governor Mikie Sherrill's defeat of Republican Jack Ciattarelli here in North Arlington, the locals are endorsing John Balwierczak for mayor and Dennis Papile & Cengiz "Jim" Sever for Borough Council.

North Arlington, which has been trending solidly red for nearly decade, saw Democrats win for governor, the state legislature and county commissioner, while the local council candidates won several districts for the first time in nearly a decade!

The Democrats have also be filed candidates for the Municipal Committee, two per district or ten districts.

"North Arlington is trending from red to purple, and this year we believe based on the issues of high property taxes, random assessments, overdevelopment, and the stripping of North Arlington's character as being a small and suburban community, we will take a step closer to defeating Pronti come November," offered longtime Democratic Municipal Chairman Nick Antonicello.

Pronti, who was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022 is expected to seek reelection with incumbents Donna Bocchino and Maro Karcic, who was the last Republican to lose locally in 2016.

"This election is very similar to the mayoral election of 2002 when Democrats shocked the political establishment and defeated twenty-year incumbent Leonard R. Kaiser with Russ Pitman, the longtime Democratic stalwart with his running-mate James Ferriero. The issue of overdevelopment coupled with high taxes are obvious, and we believe based on our own internal data, Pronti is far more vulnerable than Kaiser," noted Antonicello.

In Balwierczak, Democrats have a hard working, "never say never candidate" who has established name recognition with voters and will out hustle and out work the opposition. His 2025 vote totals in the Democratic Primary suggest a strong bond with voters, and the fact he defeated Pronti in his own election district last November suggests an upset is possible.

A lifelong resident who has a hearing disability, Balwierczak is a 2007 graduate of North Arlington High School where he played varsity basketball. A former member of Local 1262 of the United Food & Commercial Workers, the candidate does personal investing and plans to be a full-time candidate and mayor.

"The stakes are too high. We can't have a Mayor eying a takeover of our local Board of Education. A Mayor who refuses to even acknowledge the unpopularity of these random assessments or out-of-court settlements that cost taxpayers $200,000. We need a political house cleaning. The time for a return to responsible two-party government is now," observed the hopeful.

"Our campaign will be issue-oriented on the notion random reassessments must end. There will be a tax hike again this year and the Republicans are already trying to blame a Democrat to mask away their own inability to competently govern," said the candidate.

DEMOCRATS WILL OVERTURN RANDOM TAX ASSESSMENTS.

"It's the same old song with Pronti, promises of senior housing only to stiff taxpayers with a bill for $238,000 for a water fountain that no one wanted. He lies about the cost and claims it was free. How is a $238,0000 expenditure free? We will run on these issues and the impending property tax hike," noted Balwierczak.

"My first order of business will be to eliminate these assessments and revert back to a reassessment process that is five years or longer. This Pronti scheme is pushing seniors out of North Arlington."

DENNIS PAPILE FOR BOROUGH COUNCIL:

A former business owner now employed by the County of Bergen, Dennis Papile is making his first bid for public office.

Originally from Lyndhurst, Papile graduated from LHS in 1967 and has owned a home in NA since 1976.

Papile has worked as a North Arlington crossing guard since 2015 serving our parents and students of the school district.

Papile has received additional automotive training at the General Motors Training facility while completing course work at Lincoln Tech.

Married to his wife Josie, they have a daughter and three grandchildren who also reside in North Arlington.

When asked why he was running, Papile explained that municipal taxes are "just too high," and that North Arlington would benefit from having another responsible voice on the seven member governing body.

A veteran of the US Navy Reserve (1969-1973), Papile was assigned on the aircraft carrier, the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt.

CENGIZ "JIM" SEVER FOR BOROUGH COUNCIL:

Originally from Brooklyn, New York where he graduated from Lafayette High School, Cengiz "Jim" Sever has three children with his wife (two boys and a girl) and is employed as a journeyman tile installer with Local #7 located in New York.

He has been married for the last 27 years and is an Albert Street homeowner.

Local 7 is a Mega Local that was established by the merger of several individual BAC Allied Crafts into one autonomous unit.

The stunning and artisan work at Museums, Schools, Libraries, Transportation Centers and Condominium Projects was probably completed by members of Local 7.

In 2025 both Sever & Balwierczak were endorsed by the Bergen County Central Trades Council and Sever endorsed by the New Jersey AFL-CIO.

For more information about the candidates, visit www.natoday.net